IBM and Moderna have recently announced a collaboration to explore the potential of quantum computing and generative AI in the life sciences sector. The partnership could lead to potentially faster development of new lifesaving vaccines and medicines, as well as insight into issues such as climate change.
IBM and Moderna hope to leverage the power of AI to explore the potential of mRNA vaccines. Specifically, the partnership will be exploring the use of a generative AI Foundation Model that was developed by IBM. This model is capable of learning from broad-scale molecular datasets and could be adapted for different use cases and tasks. Parallel to this, Moderna is also looking at how quantum computing can be used to tackle problems that existing classical computers cannot.
IBM has been developing its own supercomputer platform Vela to build foundation models, which have been integrated with x86 silicon, Nvidia GPUs, and ethernet-based networking. The co-operative’s foundation models, known as MoLFormer, differ from traditional deep learning models in several ways, including the ability to learn from a much broader set of labeled data. This could reduce bias and help scientists to uncover insights uniquely with AI that was previously unattainable.
Moderna is part of the IBM Quantum Accelerator program which provides the opportunity to explore how quantum computing can be used in the development of future mRNA medicines. Quantum computing can accurately model molecular attributes and behaviors, an area which could benefit from the combination of classical and quantum computing.
IBM is a leading technology company and a pioneer in the development of AI systems, supercomputing platforms, and quantum computing systems. Founded in 1911, IBM has a long history of innovation and has worked collaboratively with organizations and individuals from a variety of industries, from healthcare and finance to geospatial. IBM is constantly looking for new ways to use AI to solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life around the world.
Payel Das, Principal Research Staff Member and Manager of Trusted AI at IBM Research, leads the development of foundation models. She has been a key figure in driving the development of generative AI and has been applying her research in various fields. With her expertise in AI and her experience in the life sciences sector, Payel has been instrumental in the partnership between IBM and Moderna. She is committed to continuing the development of AI technology and utilizing the power of AI to improve the lives of people around the world.
